The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
Supporting Your Nervous System for Balance, Resiliency and Connection
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is at the core of our human experience—it shapes how we move through the world, how we connect with others, and how we respond to life’s challenges. It’s designed to help us survive in moments of danger and thrive in times of safety, acting as an internal guide that influences our emotional, physical, and relational well-being.
Polyvagal Theory (PVT), developed by renowned scientist Dr. Stephen Porges, revolutionized our understanding of the nervous system, providing a map for regulation and healing. PVT introduced three key principles—neuroception, hierarchy, and co-regulation—which explain how our system scans for safety, responds to danger, and finds balance and ease through connection with others. This groundbreaking framework has transformed mental health care, shifting the focus toward nervous system-based interventions like the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP).
By working with and befriending the nervous system rather than against it, approaches like SSP create the foundation for deep, lasting healing, allowing the body and mind to shift out of survival mode and into a state of calm, growth, and resilience.
What is the Safe and Sound Protocol?
The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a powerful, evidence-based five-hour listening therapy designed to promote nervous system regulation, improve mental, emotional, physical and social well-being, and enhance overall resilience. This powerful yet gentle intervention is designed to enhance your ability to think, feel, and connect more effectively by regulating your nervous system and creating both autonomic resiliency and flexibility.
How Does the Safe and Sound Protocol Work?
Rooted in neuroscience and developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, SSP is a groundbreaking intervention that works by improving the functioning of the vagus nerve, which plays a vital role in our ability to feel calm and connected. The vagus nerve is a primary carrier of information that describes the state of the body to the brain and transmits information from the brain back to the body. It’s a feedback mechanism responsible for maintaining homeostasis in many of our vital organs and brain/body functions. Research over the past few decades has shown that the vagus nerve plays a key role in managing our levels of stress as well as our body’s inflammation. In this age of stress- and inflammation-related diseases, it is perhaps the most important nerve in the body for us to be paying attention to.
The SSP uses specially filtered music, processed through a patented, evidence-based algorithm, to emphasize key sound frequencies that support the regulation of the autonomic nervous system and stimulate the vagus nerve. As you listen, your nervous system begins to shift toward a more regulated state, making it easier to move from survival-driven reactions—like anxiety, hypervigilance, or shutdown—into a place of calm, clarity, and engagement. SSP isn’t just about relaxation; it helps reshape your nervous system, creating new neural pathways and strengthening your system’s ability to process, adapt, and respond with increased resilience to both everyday stress and life’s bigger challenges. This makes the SSP a powerful tool for both emotional and physiological well-being.
Areas of Improvement
Social Engagement: Enhanced ability to connect with others, including improved eye contact, facial expressions, and vocal prosody.
Emotional Regulation: Better management of emotions and reduced emotional reactivity.
Communication Skills: Improved ability to process and respond to social cues.
Auditory Processing: Enhanced ability to decipher human voices from background noise.
Stress Reduction: Decreased physiological responses to stress and improved autonomic regulation.
Trauma Recovery: Support for individuals dealing with PTSD or other trauma-related conditions.
Sensory Processing: Reduced sensory sensitivities and improved tolerance to sensory stimuli.
Focus and Attention: Increased ability to concentrate and stay present.
Overall Well-being: A greater sense of safety and calm, leading to improved mental and physical health.
These improvements are rooted in the SSP's ability to shift the nervous system out of chronic defense states and into a state of social engagement and connection.
The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) can also lead to various physiological improvements and changes. Additional areas where individuals might notice changes include:
Improved Digestion: By stimulating the vagus nerve, the SSP can enhance parasympathetic activity, which supports better digestion and gut health.
Better Sleep: Many participants report improved sleep quality, as the protocol helps regulate the nervous system and reduce stress.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV): The SSP can increase HRV, which is a marker of a healthy and adaptable autonomic nervous system.
Reduced Inflammation: Enhanced vagal tone may help lower inflammation in the body, contributing to overall health.
Respiratory Function: Improved regulation of breathing patterns, which can positively impact relaxation and energy levels.
Chronic Pain Management: Some individuals experience relief from chronic pain conditions, as the protocol helps shift the body out of a defensive state.
These changes are rooted in the SSP's ability to promote a state of safety and calm, allowing the body to function more optimally and respond to internal and external stressors and situations with increased resilience and flexibility.
Choose the Support that Fits Best
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Self-guided
This option is ideal if you feel confident navigating your nervous system and returning to a regulated state on your own. You’ll receive foundational information and access to the protocol we’ve identified as most beneficial for you, along with an introductory session where we’ll co-create a personalized listening plan. Brief check-ins will support your progress throughout. This option offers flexibility and autonomy, while still ensuring you feel supported along the way.
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Co-Regulated
This more comprehensive option combines the protocol with ongoing one-on-one support to help you stay grounded and engaged throughout the process. Together, we’ll explore and map your autonomic patterns and pathways, using personalized sessions to deepen your understanding and reshape how your nervous system responds to stress and connection. Along the way, we’ll integrate additional nervous system-based interventions tailored to your unique needs, creating a supportive and collaborative space for lasting regulation and resilience.
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Hybrid Support
This option is ideal if you’re looking for a balance between autonomy and guided support. You’ll engage with your personalized listening protocol independently, while also receiving periodic one-on-one sessions to help you stay aligned, deepen your understanding, and adjust your approach as needed. It offers the flexibility to move at your own pace, with the reassurance of expert guidance to support your nervous system’s healing and regulation.
